ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD. Foreign Office said on Sunday that bodies of 13 Pakistanis, who have lost their lives in Libya boat sinking incident, been recovered and identified from boat sinking incident in Libya while documents of four others were found.

Addressing a press briefing on the issue here on Sunday, foreign office spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal stated that 32 Pakistanis were on the boat including a family and bodies of husband and wife have been received, however, only travel document (passport) of two-month old child was found. The child has also drowned in the sea, he added. Faisal stated that of the total 90 people on the ill-fated boat.

He said that recovered bodies have been preserved and Pakistani mission is managing them to bring them Tripoli for onward air lifting to Pakistan. He said that in one week the process will be completed and bodies will be handed over to the families. He said that according to latest information 17 bodies more were recovered but none of them was Pakistani.

Foreign Office Spokesman further stated that the documents of four Pakistanis were also found but their bodies could not be found, he said “this was a tragic incident and foreign office has been making every effort from secretary level to Pakistan Embassy level in Libya to do its best.

He urged the media to highlight and list of the people whose bodies were recovered was uploaded in the website. He said that he regularly raising the issue of human trafficking in his weekly media briefing. Spokesman said that Pakistani mission in Libya does not hope to recover more bodies because of sea and time lapse factor as incident took place on Wednesday.

He said that Foreign Office will pass on the bodies to FIA and from these will go to home ministry before handing over to the families.

Fasial also read out the names of those whose bodies identified and those whose documents were found and stated that the list is also available at Foreign Office website.